TiVo Updates iOS App with Out of Home Streaming and Downloading for Roamio Boxes

[MacRumors]

Set-top device maker TiVo has updated its official iOS app today, bringing new features such as out of home streaming and downloading of content from the company's new Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro DVR boxes. The out of home streaming feature requires a Wi-Fi signal and allows users to watch live or recorded TV shows, while the out of home downloading capability enables users to download content from TiVo to their iOS devices.

What's New in Version 3.2
- Out of Home Streaming: Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro owners can watch live or recorded shows remotely anywhere you have Wi-Fi. Coming soon to TiVo Stream users.
- Out of Home Downloading: Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro owners download content to enjoy anywhere so that low bandwidth or lack of a Wi-Fi connection never slows you down. Coming soon to TiVo Stream users.
- General improvements to Stream Setup: auto-retry for streaming set-up
- Download Manager Improvements
- General Bug Fixing

The TiVo Roamio Plus and TiVo Roamio Pro retail for $399.99 and $599.99 respectively, and can be purchased through the official TiVo Website. TiVo is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: TiVo Updates iOS App with Out of Home Streaming and Downloading for Roamio Boxes

 

[Johnf1285]

TiVo is still relevant these days?

 

[redscull]

I wondered why, when I opened the app this morning, it was prompting me to log in.. Dang you auto-updater!!

 

[troop231]

TiVo still using the iOS 6 SDK i see

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Probably something they've been technically capable of for years that only now was released on account of some stupid licensing agreement.

 

[Elbon]

TiVo is still relevant these days?

I have one. I got it because I dropped cable a few years back but still wanted a DVR. It works great for that.

But that's the ONLY value I see in it. I'd never consider getting one if I still had cable. And as more content moves to on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu, TiVo will become increasingly irrelevant.

 

[b11051973]

I have one. I got it because I dropped cable a few years back but still wanted a DVR. It works great for that.

But that's the ONLY value I see in it. I'd never consider getting one if I still had cable. And as more content moves to on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu, TiVo will become increasingly irrelevant.

I'm sick of giving DirecTV $100 a month and have been thinking about cutting the cord. I think I would pick up the basic Roamio that handles OTA channels. 80% of what I watch I can get for free OTA. I don't think it is worth $100/month for the other 20%.

The one thing is I will miss HBO GO. I'll have to start waiting for their shows to come to Blu-ray, but I think I can live with that. I still have like 4 episodes of the last season of Game of Thrones to watch and I'm 2 seasons behind on Boardwalk Empire.

 

[Jacquesass]

I recently picked up a Roamio Pro (although if I were to do it now, I would probably pick up an upgraded 4TB Roamio Plus from Weaknees.com). I have Comcast, and a big motivator was my desire to get as much Comcast equipment out of my house as possible. When I upgraded (from an older TiVo HD), I also bought two Tivo mini's for other rooms in the house.

The whole system works VERY well. 6 tuners on the Roamio Pro, all of which are available in rooms with the mini's - and on my iPad/iPhone anywhere in the house. This update now extends that (recordings and live TV) streaming to my iPad/iPhone to any WiFi network (i.e., work) - with next year's update including streaming it anywhere I can get 4G. I can also tell TiVo to record any show from anywhere I have internet access. As icing, you can search by show/actor/subject and find shows across services (upcoming broadcast, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc.).

I love my AppleTV's, but the new TiVo's are by far the best way to enjoy your cable subscription.

 

[portishead]

TiVo is still relevant these days?

Spoken like someone who's never used a TiVo. It certainly has it's issues but it's still the best DVR on the market, and it's still cheaper getting a TiVo with lifetime than it is to pay the cable man every month.

 

[rdlink]

TIVO can kiss my butt. I have a Series 3 that is more than capable of this, along with the ability to do PPV on Comcast. But they won't make it available unless I buy one of their new boxes, in spite of the fact that I gave them hundreds of dollars for lifetime service.

DISH network is getting my business the second I move back into my house. Hopper here I come.

----------

Spoken like someone who's never used a TiVo. It certainly has it's issues but it's still the best DVR on the market, and it's still cheaper getting a TiVo with lifetime than it is to pay the cable man every month.

TIVO is better than most of the boxes that cable providers give you, true. But barely. And DISH's DVR offerings blow it away.

 

[severe]

I love my AppleTV's, but the new TiVo's are by far the best way to enjoy your cable subscription.

Agreed.

TIVO can kiss my butt. I have a Series 3 that is more than capable of this, along with the ability to do PPV on Comcast. But they won't make it available unless I buy one of their new boxes, in spite of the fact that I gave them hundreds of dollars for lifetime service.

There's always one. relink, the Series 3 was released in 2006. 2006! A Motorola SLVR is more than capable of making a phone call.

 

[nazaar]

ahhh Tivo... I remember the good old days
Just too bad they were never able to get fully integrated in the Canadian market

CRTC : poo

 

[Johnf1285]

Spoken like someone who's never used a TiVo. It certainly has it's issues but it's still the best DVR on the market, and it's still cheaper getting a TiVo with lifetime than it is to pay the cable man every month.

You caught me

I am a bit biased with TiVo as I use to sell them during the "dawn of consumer HDTV" when I worked for a large big box electronics retailer back in the early 2000's - I never saw the need for them as an integrated solution from the cable company just seemed more simplistic. Especially nowadays with Fios and how user friendly it has become.

I don't watch that much TV anyhow so again I probably wouldn't be their target market. I do subscribe to Hulu+ and use my Apple TV to get my fill.

 

[Jacquesass]

TIVO can kiss my butt. I have a Series 3 that is more than capable of this, along with the ability to do PPV on Comcast. But they won't make it available unless I buy one of their new boxes, in spite of the fact that I gave them hundreds of dollars for lifetime service.

DISH network is getting my business the second I move back into my house. Hopper here I come.

----------

TIVO is better than most of the boxes that cable providers give you, true. But barely. And DISH's DVR offerings blow it away.

I understand where you're coming from, but the jump from an S3 to a Roamio is huge - very large jump in processing power, Stream built-in, MOCA built-in, new underlying OS, 6 tuners.

I can't comment on how it compares to the Hopper, but after having a "discussion" with DirecTV about how the $500 I spent on a DVR at Best Buy was just a "lease" and that I couldn't give it to my brother - a multi-year DTV customer - but had to send it in or get charged almost $1k ... I swore to have as little equipment from the cableco in my house as possible. With the Roamio + minis + my own cable modem, the only thing Comcast has in my house is a single cablecard.

 

[firedownunder]

I understand where you're coming from, but the jump from an S3 to a Roamio is huge - very large jump in processing power, Stream built-in, MOCA built-in, new underlying OS, 6 tuners.

I can't comment on how it compares to the Hopper, but after having a "discussion" with DirecTV about how the $500 I spent on a DVR at Best Buy was just a "lease" and that I couldn't give it to my brother - a multi-year DTV customer - but had to send it in or get charged almost $1k ... I swore to have as little equipment from the cableco in my house as possible. With the Roamio + minis + my own cable modem, the only thing Comcast has in my house is a single cablecard.

Agree 1000%. Longtime DTV subscriber (Sunday ticket), tried to double charge me and wouldn't fix it so I told them to shove it. Got a Premier 4 and a Bright House cable card, short of being free couldn't be happier. As long as there's sports cable/satellite companies will rule, doesn't mean I have to "lease" their crappy outdated equipment. Bill is reduced by a third (with a better sports pack) and my dvr is infinitely more functional. And if I decide to upgrade I can sell "my" box.

 

[macduke]

For whatever reason, when I think of TiVo, I think about WebTV.

Now that I got that out of my system, who is in the market for a $600 TiVo?

 

[Elbon]

80% of what I watch I can get for free OTA. I don't think it is worth $100/month for the other 20%.

That's exactly what led me to get rid of cable. Couldn't justify the expense when most of what I watched was available for free OTA.

The one thing is I will miss HBO GO. I'll have to start waiting for their shows to come to Blu-ray...

Apple TV is great for this. You can get HBO shows in the iTunes Store. But of course it would be better if HBO would offer their Go service without tying it to a cable subscription.

 

[Combchris]

Tivo has changed a lot. When tivo released the first dvr I had one for about a year or so then just went with Verizon's dvr for like 4 years or so, but with the release of romio I came back and I'm glad I did. Yes tivo is still Relevant. It actually works great I am so glad I went back. It intergrates my hulu and netflix accounts so if there is a show I like it will show me that the show is available in those services and I can watch whatever I want without turning on the Apple TV. The space is amazing I have been using it for 3 months never deleted anything and the storage is still not full. It is also so much quicker than my card dvr which is important and has Small features that are important like pressing a button on the box to find the remote, suggestions, and switching between tv and online services. The iphone app never crashes like my cables dvr app and when I am not home it works 100% to record shows so they are there when I get home.

 

[rdlink]

I understand where you're coming from, but the jump from an S3 to a Roamio is huge - very large jump in processing power, Stream built-in, MOCA built-in, new underlying OS, 6 tuners.

I can't comment on how it compares to the Hopper, but after having a "discussion" with DirecTV about how the $500 I spent on a DVR at Best Buy was just a "lease" and that I couldn't give it to my brother - a multi-year DTV customer - but had to send it in or get charged almost $1k ... I swore to have as little equipment from the cableco in my house as possible. With the Roamio + minis + my own cable modem, the only thing Comcast has in my house is a single cablecard.

DirecTV lost my business over 20 years ago. I was a first gen DirecTV/USSB subscriber. That was back in the day that you had to use DirecTV to get your "basic" channels, and USSB for premiums. I paid $1500 for two boxes and a dish. Had to install it myself. A few months later DISH network came along and gave them competition. They dropped the price of their boxes to about $100 almost overnight. I never forgot that, and I never will.

Besides, my ex GF had DirecTV forced on her in her old apt, because the building had set up an exclusivity deal with them. They were complete A**es about things. They can jump off the same cliff when TIVO does, afaik.

 

[HiRez]

This is great for TiVo fans (of which I am one), but good lord, what a UI disaster on iOS.

 

[foodog]

TiVo is still relevant these days?

Yes unless you want a very sub standard DVR from the cable company... Even Comcast offers TiVo's in a number of areas.

 

[Jacquesass]

This is great for TiVo fans (of which I am one), but good lord, what a UI disaster on iOS.

+1. They need to hire a UI designer that knows iOS7 ASAP.

 

[Alucardx03]

Wow... just got done playing around with this and it's depressingly bad, which is hard to say considering what a big Tivo fan I am.

If you're on Time Warner Cable like I am, don't even bother. The OOH streaming has the same restrictions as the "download" option did. In other words, the only shows you can stream remotely are on non-protected channels like NBC, ABC, and Fox.

The quality is also pretty terrible. On a 5.91 Mbps remote connection (and a 6Mbps home upload speed), the quality was hardly even watchable. I compared the quality to my Slingbox, and that looked gorgeous on the same connection. I uploaded an attachment photo to demonstrate the poor quality.

The quality of the stream and the arbitrary limitations make the Slingbox 500 the clear choice, especially considering you're not limited to WiFi.

 

[japanime]

Pull my finger. C'mon, I dare ya.

 

[Sir Real]

I have one. I got it because I dropped cable a few years back but still wanted a DVR. It works great for that.

But that's the ONLY value I see in it. I'd never consider getting one if I still had cable. And as more content moves to on-demand services like Netflix and Hulu, TiVo will become increasingly irrelevant.

Tivo is also the perfect way to record "over the air" HD from the mainstream networks for free. That is why I have it. The HD is better from my antenna than from cable. I put in a 3TB drive and it holds a vast amount of program data. Also, I can upload shows from Tivo to my Mac if I want. The Tivo Box is great for what it does. I have no complaints.